Conversations on Serious Topics (Pokalbiai rimtomis temomis)

"A Magical Flower"

A girl got a flower as a present from her mother.

She was happy.

She looked for a spot to place it.

She looked and looked.

And didn't find it anywhere.

So she put her flower on a windowsill.

The girl looked after it, watering, taking care of it.

One day the girl came into the room and noticed

that her flower had turned to the window, to the sun.

The girl didn't know why.

Maybe I'm doing something wrong, she thought.

The flower turned back and said:

You're doing everything right, I just want to face the sun.

Amazed, the girl ran to her mother and told her everything.

Her mother was also amazed that the flower could talk.

They were both happy.

CONVERSATIONS ON SERIOUS TOPICS

It's my first time on TV. How can it wear me down?

This isn't TV.

Doesn't matter if it's cinema.

At least I'm going to be somewhere.

What does it mean to you to be somewhere?

Sometimes it gives me joy, sometimes grief.

Tell me, Jonas…

If you're not on TV, does it mean you don't exist?

I don't have to be on TV or in movies or somewhere else.

It's important to be seen by somebody,

if only by an old guy down the street,

asking people to spare him a coin.

Jonas, what were the biggest moments in your life?

Jesus, I've had a million of them!

My five birthdays.

My first recitation contest.

The day I was alone at home and Grandma was in hospital.

I was able to be alone and play at home.

Just don't tell Grandma.

Another great moment was

when I was in hospital twice.

Made some friends over there.

Some would say it's sad to be in hospital.

True, some would.

But if there are children you can be with,

then it's great.

Sometimes I get this way, all of a sudden…

I don't really know where Mom is.

I'm kinda fine, but…

But I start to miss Mom for some reason.

Then I want to find her immediately.

Are you often alone?

Yes.

Usually, when I'm back from school.

What do you do then?

I roller skate, walk my dog Taksis,

play with Taksis, do my homework, play some music…

Eat something…

Are you happy?

I am but I could be happier.

What would make you completely happy?

If Mom was doing better, I guess.

In fact, I'm very happy.

So you're happy when your Mom's happy?

Yes.

What does your Dad mean to you?

Maybe taking care of my stuff.

But he's also an important person in my life.

First Mom, then Dad.

Loneliness…

Loneliness is the feeling of being alone.

When you feel it's just you and no one else around.

Only you in the cruel, sad world,

with almost nothing good in it.

-Do you ever feel like that? -Sometimes.

-What do you do then? -Being sad… Sometimes.

And sometimes I just find something to do.

Anything.

Do you know that grownups often feel the same?

You can now guess the person

I think is very lonely right now.

From my family.

Every family has such a person.

It begins with M.

You mean your mother?

I think she's very lonely.

What makes you think so?

Because I'm her only child.

And I haven't seen her in a very long time.

Why do I keep dropping it?

Really, why?

It's true!

I don't know.

Maybe I wanna express my feelings through movements.

That was not intended.

Oh, my classmate Laura…

We both have mothers with similar hairstyles

and we both have divorced parents…

That's about it, but…

I guess we both live in a similar place,

we like similar things…

Her dad lives in Iceland now.

We talked…

She'd tell me about her foster-sister in Iceland

and her foster-dad and her real dad.

She loves her foster-dad more.

She called her foster-dad a Teddy Bear

and her real dad a tiger.

She doesn't really love the real one.

Says he only acts good but in fact…

Do other kids say something about your divorced parents

or do they just not care?

It depends.

We have a new girl in our class.

I think her parents are divorced too.

I can feel it.

Other kids are visited by their dad

or their mum and dad…

You can feel what?

That others' parents aren't divorced.

My Grandma's piano is called almost like this camera.

What does Grandma mean in your life?

Love and joy, and everything.

The same as mother

because I've spent most of my life with Grandma.

What about your mother?

Weekends, till I was 4…

And then… don't know…

On my birthday, at Christmas parties in Vilnius,

various occasions.

You told me your record for not seeing mother.

Oh yeah, I remember.

-Can you remind me? -My record for not seeing Mom

was the whole year and a half of another year.

A total of…

18 months.

How was your trip?

-Good. -Good?

What did you meet on your way?

Nobody.

-Not even a moose? -Nope.

-Any cars gone off the road? -Yep.

-A lot? -Just one.

-In a ditch or somewhere else? -In a ditch.

Did it look real bad?

Smashed, trashed.

Vitalija, what do you fear the most?

The most?

I don't know…

I'd get scared if I were in a forest.

If somebody was sneaking.

Also, if I were alone at home

and somebody was walking there…

That'd be scary.

Also…

Maybe…

In shops, for example…

When you're alone and someone follows you…

That wouldn't be very nice.

You told me once about your very interesting dreams.

Can you tell it again?

I still can't forget that dream.

Which one?

Me and my Mom were on our way to this lady.

And from the elevator came this…

What's he called…

A man that looked very much like a scythe.

He sprinkled something on my Mom and killed her.

I poured some ketchup over me

and fell down.

And I wasn't breathing.

And last night I had a dream

I went to the forest.

There was some woman walking there.

Actually it wasn't a woman but a different person.

He was able to shift his shape.

He bit me and I died.

To write again in a white sheet on black,

When the joy and laughter I lack

To begin correcting the mistakes again

There's one and only road –

These keys in front of you, white and black

The road to Heaven will they open

And you will step on a blue green path.

Can you give a little clarification?

-About what? -What did you mean writing it?

"To write in a white sheet on black…"

It means to start a new life, correct your mistakes.

Once this blackness, sadness exists,

you can't erase it.

Mum said, in the beginning

you were the only blind kid in your class.

That's right.

What do you remember from back then?

Only that everyone loved to make fun of that.

It was just a fun game to them.

-What did it look like? -I don't know.

How did they make fun of you?

They'd take a book from my desk.

The book isn't there.

Sure it's there.

It is not. That girl took it, I know that.